Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01

Of his saddle Concho raised the bottle 70
ais lips, took q long draught, made a wry
face, and CALCULATED:
sCArajol"
= Il appeared that tho bottle did not contain
aguardiente, but had lately bean filed In
tavern near Tres Pinos by an 1rishman who
sold bad American whisky under that pleas
ine Castilian title. Nevertheless Concho had
already nearly emptied the bottle, and it fell
back against the saddle as yellow and daccid
q his own cheeks Thus reenforced, Concho
turned to look at the valley behind him, from
which he had climbed since noon. It was q
sterile waste bordered here and there by ara
bls fringes and valdas Of meadow Land, but in
the main dusty, dry and forbidding. His eye
rested for . moment on q low, white cloud
lfne on the eastern horizon, but so mock1ng
and unsubstantial that 1t seemed to come and
20 as he gazed Concho struck his forehead
and winked his hot eyelids Was it the Sierras
or the cursed American whiskya
Again he erecommenced the ascent. At times
the half-worn, half invisible trail became ut
terly lost in the bare black out-crop OF the
ridge, but his sagacious mule soon found it
again, until, stepping upon loose bowlder,
shs slipped and fell. In vain Concho tried to
lift her from out the ruin of camp kettles,
prospecting pans and picks; she remained
quietly recumbent, occasionally raising her
head as If to contemplatively glance over the
arid plain below Then he had recourse to
useless blows. Then he essayed profanity OF
q secular kind, such as assassin, Thief"
@Beast with pigs head ""Food for the Bulls
Horns" but with no effect.
Then he had recourse to the curse ecclesias-
tic: aAh, Judas Iscariot! is it thus, renegade
and traitor, thou leavest me, thy master,
league from camp and supper waitinga Stealer
Of the Sacrament, get up"
9tin no effect. Concho began to feel un-
easy; never before had q mule Of pious line
ase failed to respond to this kind Of exhorta-
Nom He made one more desperate attempt:
sAh, defiler Of the altarl Lie not thercl
Look" he threw his hand into the air, extend
ine the fingers suddenly. "Behold, fendl
sxorcise theei Hal tremblestl Look but lit
IL now-see! Apostatei I-I-excommuni-
cate thee-Hula"
sWhat are you kicking mp such devil OF
row down thsrs fort" said gruff voice from
ths rocks above.
Concho shuddsred. Could II be that the
devil was really going 70 fly away with his
mule. He dared not look up.
sCome now" continued the voice, Ayou just
let up on that mule, you d. old Grsaser.
Don't you see she's slipped her shoulder7"
Alarmed as Concho was at the information,
he could not help feeling to . certain extent
relieved. She was famed, but had not lost her
standing a. . good Catholic.
He ventured to lift his eyes. A Stranger
IN Americana from his dress and accent
WAS descending the rocks toward him. He
was slight-built man with q dark, smooth
facs, that would have been quitA common
placs and inexpensive but for his left eye, in
which all that was villainous In him ap-
pareutly conferred. Shut that eye, and you
lad the features and expression of an Or
dinary man; cover up those features, and the
eys shown out like Eblis' own. Nature had
apparently observed this too, and had, by
paralysis of the nerve, ironically dropped the
corner of the upper lid over it like curtain,
laughed at her handiwork, and turned him
loose to prey upon the credulous world.
awhat are you doing heref' said the
stranger after he had assisted Concho in
bringing the mule to her feet, and helpless
halt
prospecting, 6enor."
The stranger turned his respectable right
eye toward Concho, while his left looked
un, able scorn and wickedness over the
~ Apecting, what for"